As Celebrity Theatre nears the 50th anniversary of its opening, Phoenix historians are recognizing it as one of the city’s most significant performing-arts structures.

The Phoenix City Council voted in favor of designating the theater historic Wednesday. The building, at the southwestern corner of 32nd and Fillmore streets, is Phoenix’s third-oldest entertainment venue, general manager Alycia Klein said.

Historical preservationists have increased their efforts in recent years to save the city’s historical buildings.

Recognizing Celebrity Theatre is a move in the right direction, said Jennifer Boucek, director of Preserve Phoenix, a non-profit organization focused on preserving the city’s historical sites.

“We have a lot of properties that are going to be coming of age in the next few years, mainly in the Midcentury Modern style, which is really Phoenix’s greatest treasure,” she said. “It’s something we have that a lot of places around the country don’t have. It makes us unique and makes us special.”

The theater’s eligibility for recognition is a no-brainer, Boucek said.

“It holds great significance from an architectural and structural standpoint. The design has won awards,” she said. “It meets ... criteria for designation, so that makes it especially fitting to be part of our historic registry.”

A property must demonstrate significance in local, regional, state or national history; architecture; archaeology; engineering; or culture to qualify for a historical designation. The property’s association with a historical event or significant people is also factored into the decision, according to Phoenix.

A property must also be 50 years old or in exceptional cases, have achieved significance in the past 50 years.

Beverly Hills architect Perry Neuschatz designed the 196-foot-diameter building as a multipurpose conference center. Gary Call was the associate architect. Owners planned to use Celebrity Theatre as a concert venue during the winter.

Builder/Architect magazine in its September 1964 issue wrote, “Prestressed concrete is used throughout the auditorium, but its most unique application is in the 180-foot clear span, inverted conical roof.”

The theater opened on Jan. 13, 1964, as the Phoenix Star Theatre with the musical “South Pacific.” It was initially known for bringing Broadway plays to Phoenix.

Owners renamed the venue Celebrity Theatre in the 1970s to reflect its growing reputation as a concert venue. The list of entertainers who performed there includes George Carlin, Nat King Cole and Etta James.

The building underwent renovations and reopened in December 1995. Today, the 2,650-seat theater has a round stage that can turn through four revolutions.

The theater still attracts popular acts: Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Lil Wayne had a show this month.

Historical designations make implementing changes to a facility more difficult, said Michelle Dodds, Phoenix’s historic-preservation officer.

If the owner wants to demolish the building, the designation prevents him or her from doing so immediately and gives the community the chance to find another buyer or alternative use for the property.

Business owners aren’t always open to historical designation because it makes it harder to alter a building and change can sometimes be beneficial for a business, officials said. But profit alone isn’t always what matters most, said Rich Hazelwood, the theater’s owner.

“Being a part of history is something that money can’t buy, and you cannot put a price on that level of longevity,” he said.

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